New Law Targets More Recycled Water Use

Eased restrictions on the use of recycled water may help California weather its next drought, allowing businesses, homes and agencies to use more recycled water to conserve potable water supplies.

Senate Bill (SB) 31, introduced by Tri-Valley Senator Jerry McNerney in December and signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Oct. 13, will relax recycled-water plumbing requirements for homeowners’ associations, allow food-handling and processing facilities to use recycled water in their bathrooms and outdoor irrigation, allow incidental amounts of spray, mist or runoff of recycled water in outdoor eating areas of parks, and ease regulations around any unintended recycled-water discharges during storms.

“Expanding the use of recycled water is exactly the type of commonsense proposal that will help solve our state’s water issues,” McNerney said in a statement. “SB 31 is a pragmatic approach that will protect fresh-water supplies by expanding the use of recycled water for irrigation and commercial uses. It will also help safeguard the state during devastating droughts caused by climate change.”

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